January 1, 2011 (EGYPT): A suspected suicide bomber ripped through a crowd outside a church in Alexandria, killing at least 21 people. The explosion occurred in the early morning of New Year’s Day, as the New Year’s Eve service at the al-Qiddissin Church drew to a close. As stated by the Associated Press, “The attack came in the wake of repeated threats by al Qaeda militants in Iraq to attack Egypt’s Christians.” – BBC, January 1; AP, January 1
January 1, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Multiple U.S. aerial drones killed 15 suspected militants in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – Reuters, January 1
January 2, 2011 (IRAQ): Suspected militants killed four Iraqi security force members in a series of Baghdad attacks. All of the killings involved assailants equipped with silencers, and all occurred within less than an hour of one another. – AP, January 2
January 3, 2011 (FRANCE): The trial of eight men accused of armed robberies to fund al-Qa`ida began in Paris. The leader of the group, Ouassini Cherifi (known as “The Turk”), is accused of meeting Islamist extremists in Turkey in September 2005 and pledging to fund their operations. – UPI, January 3
January 4, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab Province, was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad. Punjab is Pakistan’s most populous province. – AFP, January 4
January 5, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): Afghanistan’s intelligence agencies announced that they had foiled two major attacks in Kabul in the past 20 days, one of which targeted First Vice President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim. As part of the plot against the vice president, five militants belonging to the Haqqani network planned to assassinate Fahim with a suicide bomber. The other disrupted plot was a planned bombing near President Hamid Karzai’s palace in the capital. – AP, January 5
January 5, 2011 (MALI): A suspected al-Qa`ida-linked man detonated a bomb at the French Embassy in Bamako. According to the Associated Press, “The assault on the French diplomatic compound in Mali’s capital was unsophisticated. It was carried out by a single man who police say fired several gunshots and set a gas cylinder alight and threw it, wounding two people and causing only minor damage to one of the embassy’s outer gates.” The alleged bomber is a 25-year-old Tunisian who came from an al-Qa`ida camp in the Sahara, and who had a “personal hatred for France.” – AP, January 6; AFP, January 5
January 5, 2011 (MOROCCO): Moroccan security forces announced that they dismantled a 27-member al-Qa`ida cell in the Western Sahara. One of the al-Qa`ida operatives had been “dispatched to set up a rear base” in Morocco. – Deutsche Press Agency, January 5
January 7, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber detonated explosives in a bathhouse in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, killing 17 people, mostly civilians. The bomber appeared to target an Afghan police commander, who was killed in the attack. – Christian Science Monitor, January 7
January 7, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. aerial drone killed two people in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – BBC, January 12
January 7, 2011 (YEMEN): Suspected al-Qa`ida militants killed at least 17 Yemeni soldiers in two ambushes near the town of Lawder in Abyan Province. – AP, January 7
January 7, 2011 (NIGER): Armed men kidnapped two French nationals from the upscale Toulousain restaurant in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The following day, on January 8, both hostages were killed after a failed rescue attempt by French military forces across the border in Mali. The men were identified as Antoine de Leocour, an aid worker in Niger, and his friend Vincent Delory. Al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb later took credit for the kidnapping. – AP, January 7; Christian Science Monitor, January 9; AFP, January 10; Voice of America, January 13
January 9, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Punjab Province Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters that Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a suspected senior Islamist militant, was released from Pakistani custody in early December 2010 “because authorities finished questioning him in connection with the October 2007 attempted assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and found no grounds to charge him.” According to the Associated Press, “one U.S. official said Akhtar has extensive ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups and is someone who should not be free to walk around the streets of Pakistan or any other country.” He is also a founder of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. – AP, January 9
January 9, 2011 (SAUDI ARABIA): Saudi Arabia issued global arrest warrants for 47 suspected al-Qa`ida militants thought to be located in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq. The wanted men allegedly tried to build terrorist cells inside the Saudi kingdom. Some of the men are considered senior leaders in al-Qa`ida. – Reuters, January 9
January 10, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber killed two policemen and one civilian in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province. – Los Angeles Times, January 11
January 12, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber on a motorcycle targeted a minibus carrying Afghan intelligence service employees in Kabul, killing at least two people. The Taliban claimed responsibility. – AP, January 12
January 12, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a mosque and police station in Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing 18 people. The two buildings were adjacent to one another. – AFP, January 12; New York Times, January 12
January 12, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. aerial drone killed at least three militants near Mir Ali in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. According to the BBC, “The compound, the target of Wednesday’s attack, was owned by Zafar Khan, who was linked to a militant group led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur.” – BBC, January 12
January 14, 2011 (IRAQ): Twelve militants linked to the Islamic State of Iraq escaped from a prison in Basra. The men apparently escaped after obtaining police uniforms. – Reuters, January 14; BBC, January 14
January 14, 2011 (TUNISIA): Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali stepped down from power, ending his 23 year rule. His move came in response to massive protests against the government, and he and his family were forced to flee Tunisia for Saudi Arabia. – BBC, January 14
January 14, 2011 (RUSSIA): A suicide bomber detonated explosives in a café in Khasavyurt, located in Dagestan. Two people were killed. – AP, January 14
January 15, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani Taliban fighters set 14 NATO supply tankers on fire in the Dera Murad Jamali area of Baluchistan Province. – AP, January 15
January 17, 2011 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle in Ramadi, Anbar Province. The bomber targeted the governor of Anbar Province, but he survived the attack. – UPI, January 17
January 17, 2011 (YEMEN): A Yemeni security court sentenced Hisham Assem, a suspected al-Qa`ida member, to death for killing a French oil worker in October 2010. The court also convicted Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-`Awlaqi in absentia and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. – AP, January 17
January 18, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): Afghan police said that approximately 40 Taliban insurgents surrendered in Kunduz Province. A Taliban spokesman denied the claim, saying, “They are not genuine members of the Taliban as real Taliban fighters would never surrender to the government. If anyone is seen to do so, they will be punished by death.” – Reuters, January 18
January 18, 2011 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber detonated an explosives vest among a crowd of prospective police recruits in Tikrit, Salah al-Din Province, killing at least 50 people. – New York Times, January 18; AP, January 18
January 18, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. aerial drone killed five militants in Dashgah village in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – AFP, January 18
January 19, 2011 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber driving an ambulance targeted an Iraqi police training center in Diyala Province, killing at least 15 people. – Reuters, January 19
January 19, 2011 (THAILAND): Approximately 30 insurgents attacked an army base in Narathiwat Province of southern Thailand, killing at least four soldiers. The fighters reportedly stormed the armory, stealing assault rifles and other weapons. – Voice of America, January 20
January 20, 2011 (UNITED STATES): The U.S. government designated Qari Hussain as a “specially designated” global terrorist. Hussain is considered to be a leading trainer of suicide bombers in Pakistan and Afghanistan. – AP, January 20
January 20, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): German al-Qa`ida militant Bekkay Harrach (also known as Abu Talha al-Almani) is believed to have been killed in Afghanistan. Fellow militants announced that Harrach was killed while leading an attack on Bagram airbase. The date of his death was not provided. Harrach appeared in al-Qa`ida videos in 2009 threatening to attack Germany during that country’s general elections. – BBC, January 20
January 20, 2011 (IRAQ): Three car bombs along the roads leading to Karbala exploded, killing at least 52 people traveling to the city as part of an annual Shi`a pilgrimage. – New York Times, January 20
January 21, 2011 (GLOBAL): Usama bin Ladin purportedly released a new audiotape warning that France would pay a “high price” for its policies and that “the release of your [French] prisoners in the hands of our brothers is linked to the withdrawal of your soldiers from our country.” Al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb is holding a number of French hostages. Bin Ladin cautioned France, saying that the French economy is not prepared for a successful fight against al-Qa`ida: “The size of your debts and the weakness of your budget will not allow you to open a new front.” – France24, January 21; AP, January 21
January 21, 2011 (CANADA): The Canadian government served deportation papers to Mohamed Harkat, who is allegedly an al-Qa`ida sleeper agent. The Algerian native is accused of operating a guesthouse in Pakistan for jihadist militants before moving to Canada in 1995 on a forged Saudi passport. – BBC, January 21
January 21, 2011 (UNITED KINGDOM): A British judge agreed to extradite Abid Naseer to the United States for his alleged role in plotting attacks in the United Kingdom, the United States and Norway. Naseer, a suspected al-Qa`ida operative, is a 24-year-old Pakistani who was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2009. The case will now move to Britain’s home secretary for final approval. – AFP, January 21
January 22, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): A bomb killed two NATO personnel in eastern Afghanistan. – Reuters, January 22
January 22, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A roadside bomb killed two police officers and a civilian in Orakzai Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – CNN, January 22
January 23, 2011 (IRAQ): Five car bombs exploded in different Baghdad neighborhoods, killing at least six people. According to the New York Times, “The bombs struck Sunni neighborhoods as well as Shiite areas. Two appeared directed at security forces and one at Iranian pilgrims marching to observe Arbaeen, which commemorates the end of the 40-day mourning period for the death of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The targets of the other two bombs were unclear.” Insurgents appeared to employ a new tactic by using taxis for at least two of the car bombs, since taxis reportedly draw less security attention when parked on the street. – New York Times, January 23
January 23, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Two suspected U.S. aerial drones killed six alleged militants in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – Voice of America, January 23
January 24, 2011 (RUSSIA): A suicide bomber ripped through Moscow’s busiest airport, killing 36 people. The bomb was detonated in the international arrivals hall of the Domodedovo airport. Russian investigators later determined that the bomber was a 20-year-old man from the troubled North Caucasus region. – New York Times, January 25; Bloomberg, January 29; BBC, February 2
January 24, 2011 (IRAQ): A roadside bomb killed Iraqi Brigadier Samer Hassan Saleh near his Baghdad home. – New York Times, January 24
January 24, 2011 (IRAQ): A car bomb exploded at a terminal filled with buses carrying Shi`a pilgrims to Karbala, killing seven people. The incident occurred 12 miles east of Karbala. – BBC, January 24
January 24, 2011 (IRAQ): A car bomb killed 18 people in south Karbala. – BBC, January 24
January 24, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Brigadier Sultan Amir, better known as “Colonel Imam,” was executed by Taliban fighters at some point in the last few days. Colonel Imam, a former Pakistani intelligence official, was considered the “Godfather of the Taliban,” as he played a major role in the formation of the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was captured by the Pakistani Taliban in March 2010. According to the New York Times, “Colonel Imam formed a close bond with Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban leader who welcomed Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan. After Sept. 11, when the Taliban movement became stronger in Pakistan, Colonel Imam struggled to stay relevant to a new younger generation of jihadists, more ruthless and uncontrollable.” – New York Times, January 24; The News International, February 22
January 25, 2011 (UNITED STATES): A federal judge sentenced Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani to life in prison for his role in al-Qa`ida’s truck bombings on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. – Christian Science Monitor, January 25
January 25, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber targeted a Shi`a procession in Lahore, killing at least 10 people. – New York Times, January 25
January 25, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber targeted a Shi`a procession in Karachi, killing at least two people. – New York Times, January 25
January 25, 2011 (EGYPT): Egyptian authorities announced that they arrested 19 people, including Tunisians and Libyans, with suspected links to al-Qa`ida. According to Egypt’s interior minister, the group “had used Egypt as a transit point from which they would travel to other countries, including Iraq, to join a group called the Islamic State of Iraq.” The men were arrested last month. – AFP, January 25
January 25, 2011 (PHILIPPINES): A bomb exploded on a bus in Manila, killing four people. – Reuters, January 25
January 26, 2011 (YEMEN): Suspected al-Qa`ida gunmen killed four Yemeni soldiers and a postal official in Hadramawt Province. The militants recovered $50,000 from the army-escorted postal truck. – Reuters, January 26
January 27, 2011 (SPAIN): Spanish police arrested Malik Imtanan Sarwar, a Pakistani man, on charges of forging passports for al-Qa`ida-linked groups. – AP, January 28
January 27, 2011 (IRAQ): A car bomb ripped through a funeral ceremony in a Shi`a district of Baghdad, killing 48 people. The vehicle may have been driven by a suicide bomber. – AFP, January 27
January 27, 2011 (YEMEN): Suspected al-Qa`ida gunmen ambushed the car of Ahmed Ghaleb Rahawi, identified as a senior Yemeni official. The attack, which occurred in Abyan Province, wounded the official’s children. Rahawi was not in the car at the time of the ambush. – AFP, January 28
January 28, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber targeted a supermarket in a wealthy section of Kabul, killing at least eight people. – Los Angeles Times, January 29
January 28, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A truck packed with explosives ripped through the Kohat tunnel, killing at least four people. The tunnel connects Peshawar with Kohat. – Voice of America, January 28
January 29, 2011 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber assassinated the deputy governor of Kandahar Province, Abdul Latif Ashna. – Voice of America, January 29
January 29, 2011 (ALGERIA): A court sentenced six people to death for a June 2009 al-Qa`ida attack that killed 19 people. According to Agence France-Presse, “The court in Constantine also handed four others two-year prison sentences for ‘supporting a terrorist group’…Another 15 were acquitted, while sentencing for a last defendant, still at large, has been postponed.” – AFP, January 29
January 31, 2011 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani security forces shelled Taliban positions in Mohmand Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 21 militants. – CNN, February 1
January 31, 2011 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying Rasheed Khan, the deputy superintendant of police in southern Peshawar, killing him along with three other people. – AP, January 31
